Strip applicator

ABSTRACT

An improved strip applicator having gripping jaws and associated vacuum cups for maintaining a strip of material at desired positions and attaching the strip of material to an article.

United States Patent [72] Inventor Werner F. Hoppner 2,552,148 5/1951 Carson 156/505 Webster, NY. 2,760,414 8/1956 Cornock et al.. 156/521 [2]] Appl. No. 859,839 2,970,414 2/l96l Rohdin 156/521 [22] Filed Sept. 22,1969 3,395,064 7/1968 Schmermund r. 156/5 19 [45] Patented Jan. 11,1972 FOREIGN PATENTS [73] Assign Phillips 580,846 1959 Canada 156/505 x Primary Examiner- Benjamin A. Borchelt [54] STRIP APPLICATOR Assistant Examinen-J. V. Doramus 6 Claims, 3 Drawing Figs. Atrorney- Young and Quigg [52] US. Cl 156/521 'f B32b3l/20 ABSTRACT: An improved strip applicator having gripping Fleld ofSearch j and associated vacuum p for rnainlaining a ip f 505 material at desired positions and attaching the'strip of material [56] References Cited an UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,279,724 4/1942 Von Hoffe 156/521 1 l i 2 l m I l7 I2 I6 I I L. J

minimum: 1 ma 3,634,173

INVENTOR. W. F. HOPPNER BY M9;

A T TORNEVS STRIP APPLICATOR This invention relates to an improved apparatus for attaching a strip of material to an article. In another aspect, this invention relates to apparatus for maintaining a strip of material in a desired position during the attachment of said strip to an article.

It has been found advantageous in the packing industry to apply strips of material to articles. These strips of material are generally applied to an article to construct a carrying handle for the article for sealing together portions of the article one to another, for example, the flaps of a box. In some cases, a strip of material is attached to an article in such a manner so as to both seal the article and provide a carrying handle for said article.

The necessary manipulations of the strip of material prior to sealing of the strip to an article have, however, met with severe problems. One often encountered problem is movement of the strip into contact with the article while maintaining the strip in a desired position relative to the article. Another difficulty has been maintaining the strip in a desired position relative to the article until portions of the strip have been fixedly attached to said article. A further serious problem with strip applying apparatus is placement of the strip on the article at uniform desired locations. Failure to solve these problems causes rejection of a great number of manufactured products with the resultant waste of materials, equipment, and labor requirements. In less flagrant misalignments of strips relative to articles, the finished product of the strip applicator is unsightly and possesses decreased adhering strength. Paramount among the various reasons why it has been difficult to construct an apparatus to satisfactory attach a strip to an article is the fact that the material generally employed for such a strip is coated or laminated paper or plastic film. Static electricity, moisture, and temperature variations cause such material to curl or deform to undesirable positions and configurations.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an improved apparatus that will maintain the strip in desired positions during movement into contact with an article and until portions of the strip are fixedly attached to the article. Another object of this invention is to provide improved apparatus that will restrain a portion of a material sheet during severance of a material strip from said sheet. Yet another object of this invention is to provide an apparatus that will attach a strip of material to an article wherein the attached strip is of improved appearance, greater strength, and more precisely and desirably positioned relative to the article. Other aspects, objects, and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from a study of the disclosure, the appended claims, and the drawing.

In the drawing, FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic plan view in partial cross section of the apparatus of this invention; FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic view of the apparatus of FIG. 1 taken along line IlII; and FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic view in partial cross section of the apparatus of FIG. 2 taken along line III-III.

Referring to FIG. 1, a conveying means 2 moves an article 4, or a plurality of articles as here shown for example, through the strip-applying apparatus 6 of this invention. An elongated continuous sheet of material 8, for example a polyvinylidene chloride film with a polyethylene coating, issues from a material reservoir (not shown) and extends, for example, outwardly over the conveying means 2 and the articles 4 positioned thereon at a higher elevation than the uppermost portion of said articles. First and second gripping jaws 10, 12 are positioned at opposed sides of the material sheet 8 with a separate gripping element of each. jaw 10, 12 positioned on opposed sides of said sheet 8. Each jaw 10, 12 is attached to linkage means 14 and a power source (not shown) for intermittent coordinated movement relative to the intervening material 8 between a first position at which the intervening material 8 is compressed between the elements of each jaw 10, 12 and a second position at which the material 8 is spaced from the elements of each jaw 10, 12 for maintaining and releasing the material 8. Each jaw I0, 12 is also intermittently movable by the power source relative to a cutting means [6, better seen in FIG. 3, extending traversely across the width of the material sheet and along a pathway substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said material sheet 8. In order to simplify the construction of the apparatus and provide material strips 17 of uniform width, it is preferred that the gripping jaws 10, I2 intermittently move in conjunction laterally between a first position (shown in FIG. 3) at which each jaw 10, I2 is gripping an opposed edge of the material sheet 8 at a location between the cutting means 16 and the material rcservoir and, as seen in FIG. 1, a second position at which each jaw l0, l2 and a portion of the material sheet 8 has moved laterally past the cutting means 16 with the distance between said first and second positions being substantially equal to a preselected width of a material strip 17 for subsequent severance of the material sheet 8 by the cutting means 16 and forming a strip 17 of the desired width.

A pair of vacuum cups 18, 20 are positioned adjacent one surface of a strip 17 severed from the material sheet 8 by the cutting means 16 and adjacent a separate gripping jaw 10, 12. Each vacuum cup 18, 20 can be separated from the respective end of the strip 17 by a grippingjaw l0, 12, or can be adjacent the respective end of the strip 17 thereby separating the gripping jaws l0, 12 from the end of the strip 17. It is preferred, however, that a gripping jaw 10, 12 separate each vacuum cup 18, 20 from the respective end of the strip 17. This preferred positioning simplifies the construction of the apparatus, shortens the pathway of movement of the vacuum cups, and provides a portion of film strip that is maintained by the gripping jaws and is more easily contacted by the vacuum cups.

The vacuum cups 18, 20 are attached to vacuum means 22 for coordinated intermittent lowering of the pressure between each cup 18, 20 and the strip 17 and equalizing the pressure. The cups 18, 20 are attached to a power source (not shown) for intermittent movement between a first position, shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, at which each cup 18, 20 is in contact with a surface of the strip 17 adjacent and maintained by a separate gripping jaw l0, l2 and a second position shown in FIG. 3 at which each cup 18, 20 is forcibly urging a portion of the strip 17 against an article 4. In attaching the strip 17 to an article 4 for forming a handle, it is preferred that the vacuum cups 18, 20 adjacent portions of the strip 17, and heating bars 24, 26 (to be described later) be positioned at the second position of the cups 18, 20 adjacent opposed sides of the article 4 and at first and second locations on the article 4 at which the peripheral distance therebetween is less than the length of the portion of the strip 17 between the vacuum cups 18, 20. By so positioning the strip 17 relative to the article 4, the strip 17 attachment is subjected to decreased stress during carrying of the article 4 by the formed handle, forces exerted on the article 4 during attachment of the strip 17 thereto are opposed thereby lessening movement of the article 4 relative to the sealing and holding means, and a uniform handle loop is formed by the portions of the strip being spaced relative to the article 4.

First and second heating bars 24, 26 are each positioned adjacent a separate vacuum cup 18, 20 located at a second position. As mentioned above, it is preferred that each heating bar 24, 26 be immediately adjacent a separate end of a strip 17 in contact with the article 4. It is also preferred that each heating bar 24, 26 cover the entire end of the strip 17, as seen in FIG. 3, in order that the edges of the end of the strip are fixedly attached to the article 4 thereby preventing strip flaps. Each heating bar 24, 26 is attached to a power source (not shown) for coordinated intermittent movement between a first position, shown in FIG. 2, at which each bar 24, 26 is spaced from an article 4 and a portion of a strip 17 adjacent a separate vacuum cup 18, 20 and a second position at which each bar 22, 24 is forcibly urging a portion of the strip 17 against the article 4 and heating said strip 17 and article 4. Each bar 24, 26 is maintained in contact with the strip 17 for a period of time sufficient to raise the temperature of the strip 17 and contacting article 4 to a value at which the strip 17 adheres to the article 4. That time period is dependent upon the material from which the strip 17 is constructed, the ambient temperature, the temperature and material of the article 4, etc. The pressure to be exerted by the heating bars 24, 26 against the strip 17 is also dependent upon the above-mentioned factors. It should be understood, as shown in the drawings for example, that the strip can be constructed and positioned by the apparatus of this invention to cover a plurality of adjacent articles thereby forming a composite article package.

In the operation of the apparatus of this invention, the gripping jaws 10, 12 at the first position move relative to the sheet 8 and forcibly engage portions of the sheet 8 between the jaw elements. The jaws 10, 12 are thereafter moved laterally by the power source past the cutting means 16 to the second position of the jaws l0, 12. Upon arrival of the jaws l0, 12 at the second position, the cutting means 16 moves into contact with the material sheet 8 and traversely severs said sheet 8 thereby forming a material strip 17 that is held by the pair of gripping jaws 10, 12. A pair of vacuum cups 18, 20 move into contact with the strip 17, a vacuum is created between the strip 17 and each vacuum cup 18, 20 and the gripping jaws l0, l2 thereafter release the strip 17. The vacuum cups 18, 20 thereafter move from the first position to the second position wherein the cups 18, 20 are maintaining portions of the strip 17 in forceful engagement with the article 4. The heating bars 24, 26 then move into contact with the strip 17 and seal said strip 17 to the article 4. The vacuum is released and the vacuum cups 18, 20 and heating bar 24, 26 are then returned by the power source to their first positions and a new cycle is initiated.

By so constructing the apparatus of this invention with a pair of holding jaws and associated vacuum cups, the material to be applied to the article is maintained in a desired position at all times, thereby assuring proper alignment of the strip on the article. Other modifications and alterations of this invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the foregoing discussion and accompanying drawing, and it should be understood that this invention is not to be unduly limited thereto.

What is claimed is:

1. An improved apparatus for attaching a strip of material to an article, comprising:

a pair of gripping jaws positioned at opposed edges of a material strip, each jaw intermittently movable relative to the strip for maintaining and releasing said strip;

a pair of spaced-apart vacuum cups movable relative one to the other between a first position at which each cup is aligned in a common plane and in one common first direction toward an underlying material strip and is in contact with the strip at spaced-apart locations adjacent a separate gripping jaw, and a second position at which each cup is aligned in an opposed direction relative one to the other and substantially perpendicular relative to the first direction and is forcibly urging spaced apart portions of the strip against an article at spaced apart locations on opposed sides thereof;

a pair of heating bars movable between a first position at which each bar is spaced from the article and a portion of the strip adjacent a separate vacuum cup, and a second position at which each bar is forcibly urging a spaced apart portion of the strip against the article at spacedapart locations and heating said strip and article at said locations;

vacuum means attached to each volume cup for lowering the pressure between the cup and the strip at the first position of the cup, maintaining that lowered pressure during movement of the cups from the first to the second position, and equalizing the pressure between each cup and the strip after each heating bar is at the second position;and

power means for moving the gripping jaws, vacuum cups,

and heatin bars. 2. An improved apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, including cutting means for intermittently cutting strips from a material sheet and gripping jaws adjacent the cutting means, said gripping jaws being laterally movable relative to the cutting means for gripping opposed edges of the material sheet and moving a portion of the sheet past the cutting means prior to severing a strip from the material sheet by the cutting means.

3. An improved apparatus, as set forth in claim 2, wherein the distance lateral movement of the gripping jaws relative to the cutting means is substantially equal to the width of the material strip.

4. An improved apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, wherein at the second position of the vacuum cups, each heating bar is positioned between a separate vacuum cup and an end of the strip.

5. An improved apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, wherein each heating bar and vacuum cup at the second position is adjacent opposed sides of an intervening article.

6. An improved apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the vacuum cups at the second position are adjacent first and second locations on the article at which the peripheral difference therebetween is less than the length of the portion of the strip between the vacuum cups. 

1. An improved apparatus for attaching a strip of material to an article, comprising: a pair of gripping jaws positioned at opposed edges of a material strip, each jaw intermittently movable relative to the strip for maintaining and releasing said strip; a pair of spaced-apart vacuum cups movable relative one to the other between a first position at which each cup is aligned in a common plane and in one common first direction toward an underlying material strip and is in contact with the strip at spaced-apart locations adjacent a separate gripping jaw, and a second position at which each cup is aligned in an opposed direction relative one to the other and substantially perpendicular relative to the first direction and is forcibly urging spaced apart portions of the strip against an article at spaced apart locations on opposed sides thereof; a pair of heating bars movable between a first position at which each bar is spaced from the article and a portion of the strip adjacent a separate vacuum cup, and a second position at which each bar is forcibly urging a spaced-apart portion of the strip against the article at spaced-apart locations and heating said strip and article at said locations; vacuum means attached to each volume cup for lowering the pressure between the cup and the strip at the first position of the cup, maintaining that lowered pressure during movement of the cups from the first to the second position, and equalizing the pressure between each cup and the strip after each heating bar is at the second position; and power means for moving the gripping jaws, vacuum cups, and heating bars.
 2. An improved apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, including cutting means for intermittently cutting strips from a material sheet and gripping jaws adjacent the cutting means, said gripping jaws being laterally movable relative to the cutting means for gripping opposed edges of the material sheet and moving a portion of the sheet past the cutting means prior to severing a strip from the material sheet by the cutting means.
 3. An improved apparatus, as set forth in claim 2, wherein the distance lateral movement of the gripping jaws relative to the cutting means is substantially equal to the width of the material strip.
 4. An improved apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, wherein at the second position of the vacuum cups, each heating bar is positioned between a separate vacuum cup and an end of the strip.
 5. An improved apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, wherein each heating bar and vacuum cup at the second position is adjacent opposed sides of an intervening article.
 6. An improved apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the vacuum cups at the second position are adjacent first and second locations on the article at which the peripheral difference therebetween is less than the length of the portion of the strip between the vacuum cups. 